Trapped In A Nightmare - Part 19

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***Chapter 23***

Liam turns to me. "Where do I go from here?"

My chest feels so tight. My breath has started coming in short puffs. I looked so familiar, yet why don't I feel like I belong? This is mine, I was taken from it, why was this feeling like I was the one who abandoned it here?

Liam put his hand lightly on my knee. "Hey. You okay?"

"Yeah." I sniffed. "It just feels weird, like I belong here, yet I don't."

"You do belong here. You just spent so much time away, living so...differently..."

We were in front of a sign that proclaimed "GLEN ACRES." There were several multicolored flora clusters all around the stone sign, looking so cheery and perfect. And it was.

As soon as I was back, I was going to never utter a single complaint. If they took me back, that is. Suddenly, I began wondering if my family would even want to reclaim me. New doubts became coming...

I was so screwed up. My past was going to be exposed, to the whole world, to my old friends, to my parent's friends, to my extended family.

I knew that there was no way that they would ever look at me the same way again.
Of course, I would probably be special now, extremely well-cared for, still loved, having survived and escaped when they thought I was lost forever.

But how would everyone feel when they knew what my everyday life used to be, what I did for Austin, for money and pleasure. What would they think when they discovered the reason I was taken to begin with?

I was pretty sure that Liam understood exactly what happened at Austin's house. But how long would it be until he stopped having sympathy for me? How long before it sunk in how many guys I had been with, what disgusting I was bathed in for the past two years? Would he still want me then?

Granted, he never knew me back when I was normal. I mean, when he met me, he thought I was semi-normal, as normal as a "Home schooled", sheltered, quiet, scared-looking girl could be. He had learned about my real situation so quickly after meeting me, and he had accepted me. Had helped me, even. Was still currently helping me, knowing the possible consequences.

I mean, what kind of guy would break the law to help, possibly even save, a girl he had known for about a month? An amazing guy, that's who. But he didn't know all the features of me and Austin plus about a hundred other dudes, perverted and sick to the extreme.

"I don't want to rush you, but we should probably get there as soon as possible." Liam interrupted my worrisome thoughts.
I stared at the street before us. Left or right? I suddenly couldn't remember.

"Okay," I started, trying to get my thoughts together. "Just... turn left. No, right. Wait, actually just turn left and then you'll turn around and we'll cruise the whole street." What was wrong with me?

Liam didn't say anything, just did as I told him. While we were slowly driving, I turned my head left and right, trying to find the house that used to belong to me.

Nothing on the left. We turned around and started driving the opposite way.

Then, suddenly, "There it is!" I practically shrieked. Poor Liam almost jumped. I released my seat belt. "You might want to turn off the sirens now."

Liam gave a half smile that even under these circumstances made me feel exhilarated. "I stopped being aware of them after 15 minutes."

That's right. I had not only stopped noticing the sirens, but the time as well. I hoped that Austin had forgotten where I lived, and gotten extremely hopelessly lost. After all, he hadn't known my house and it's location for nearly as long as I had.

I threw open the car door and raced up the driveway, then the steps to the house in front of us. Wait a second; I thought the walkway was on the other side. And did we ever have double garage doors?

I rang the doorbell anyway. A man opened, and my first thought was, This is not my dad. Bushy eyebrows, full belly, stout figure.

Then I suddenly recognized him as Mr.Laufenburger, our jolly neighbor. His face was scrunching, as he tried to figure out why I was here, who I was, did he know me? His brows shot up after a couple moments of deliberation. "Ella?!"

Uh...yes... Crap. I didn't have time. Our little reunion would have to be postponed. "Sorry no time to chat gotta go bye."

"Wrong house." I stated to Liam's questioning gaze.

As fast as I had raced up to the door, I now ran away from, heading toward the one on its right. And this time, when I rang the bell - how weird was it to ring the bell to your own house? - the face that appeared at the door was more familiar.

It was my dad.

He took me in and smiled. "Well, hello, hello! And how may I be of assistance to you today, young lady?"

I didn't say anything, couldn't say anything. I was sad and horrified. Had I been that forgettable? Liam walked up from his spot on the sidewalk to me, and put his arm comfortingly around my waist. But then, just like Mr.Laufenburger had just seconds before, my dad's face became twisted... in recognition.

My heart became flooded and overflowed with relief. I didn't know if I had changed since the last time that he had seen me. My hair was the same color, Austin hadn't cared to change it, and I didn't usually wear make-up, wasn't wearing any right now. Did he know that I was me? Would he care where I had been, what I had been through, or was me being back going to be enough, no questions asked?

My dad's face turned pale. Then white. "Ell-Ella? Honey, is that YOU?"

I contemplated about how to respond. I couldn't say, "Yep, it's me, I'm back!". So I just simply, with a trembling voice said "Yes."

"Oh, my... Terri!" He called my mom's name. He started to repeat it, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of a car's engine.

I didn't want to turn around, yet had to turn around. What I saw made my blood run cold and my heart to beat even faster than it already was, at an erratic speed.

I had - almost, not quite - forgotten about Austin.